Top Tips for Teachers on Google Classroom

1. Invite your students as guardians if you want them to receive summary emails

2. Use emojis as icons in your titles 🤣🎉

3. Think ahead by using the scheduling feature for posts and assignments

4. Utilize the plagiarism (originality) checker for reports on authenticity, also comparing student-to-student work. These will appear as flagged for review.

5. Create interactive assignments that give instant feedback or self-guided video assignments

6. You can use Google Classroom for things other than your classes. It's a handy application for creating parent communities. You can also use it for professional development, after school programs, school clubs and sports.

7. Use +{Name} to mention someone and give them an email notification.

8. Allow students to make copies of documents so they have the freedom to create or get messy.

9. Use other Workspace apps like Google Forms for quizzes, Google Sites for profiles and Google Slides for presentations

10. Create a vocabulary list which is a new feature recently added

10 More Essential Google Classroom Tips for Teachers

Maximize Your Google Classroom Efficiency. Google Classroom is a powerful tool, but managing it effectively can make a huge difference in how smoothly your virtual or blended learning environment runs. Here are 10 quick tips to help you organize your classroom, streamline communication, and enhance student engagement.

1. Control Your Stream for Better Organization

The Stream tab in Google Classroom displays posts, assignments, and comments from students. To prevent clutter and maintain control:

• Click the Settings gear.

• Navigate to General > Stream and select:

  • "Only teachers can post or comment" (best for new classes).

  • "Students can only comment" (allows discussions).

  • "Students can post and comment" (for collaborative classrooms).

• Adjust assignment notifications to condensed or hidden to prevent overwhelming students.

2. Manage Email Notifications to Avoid Overload

Google Classroom can flood your inbox with notifications. To customize alerts:

• Click the menu (three lines) > Settings.

• Locate Email Notifications and toggle settings to receive only essential emails.

• This prevents unnecessary clutter and keeps your inbox manageable.

3. Keep Important Items at the Top of the Stream

Ensure that essential announcements and assignments remain visible:

• Click the three-dot menu next to a post.

• Select “Move to top” to prioritize critical information.

• In Classwork, drag and drop items to adjust their order.

4. Increase Student Engagement with Questions

Encourage participation using Google Classroom’s Question feature:

• Go to Classwork > Create > Question.

• Choose Short answer or Multiple choice.

• Enable "Students can reply to each other" for discussion-based learning.
  This feature is great for asynchronous discussions and student reflection.

5. Email All Students at Once

Need to send an update to your entire class?

• Click People and check the box next to students' names.

• Select Actions > Email to send a bulk message.
  This ensures quick communication without composing individual emails.

6. Differentiate Announcements and Assignments

Tailor content to specific students:

• When posting an announcement or assignment, click the dropdown next to “All students”.

• Select individual students to personalize learning.
  This feature helps provide targeted instruction without broadcasting student differences.

7. Assign Work to Multiple Classes Simultaneously

Save time by assigning work across multiple sections:

• While creating an assignment or announcement, use the class dropdown to select multiple classes.

• This is ideal for teachers managing multiple sections of the same subject.

8. Reuse Assignments to Save Time

Don’t recreate assignments from scratch:

• Click Classwork > Create > Reuse post.

• Select a past assignment, announcement, or quiz.

• Make any necessary updates before reposting.
  This feature is particularly useful for recurring assessments or discussions.

9. Use Rubrics to Streamline Grading

Rubrics simplify grading and set clear expectations:

• Open an existing assignment and click “Rubric” on the right-hand panel.

• Choose Create, Reuse a rubric, or Import from Google Sheets.

• Define criteria and point values for structured evaluation.

10. Make Questions Mandatory in Google Forms Quizzes

Ensure students answer all questions before submitting quizzes:

• When creating a Quiz Assignment, click on the attached Google Form.

• Toggle the "Required" switch for each question.
  This prevents incomplete submissions and ensures thorough responses.

Optimize Your Google Classroom Experience

These 10 tips will help you streamline your workflow, improve student engagement, and create a more efficient digital classroom. Try them out and customize them to suit your teaching style.